Rocks
by Anni Re
Summary: A man standing before a grave. A simple scene right? Perhaps, not so simple. An Erik/Christine story


I don't own Erik or Christine. They own each other.

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Rocks

By

Anni Re

Erik stood at the grave, uncomprehending, unbelieving that such a thing had become a reality in his lifetime. He doubted it; from the very beginning he doubted it. His mind simply could not comprehend that it had happened. The newspaper was lying to him, he convinced himself. The newspaper was lying to him…it had to be lying…please be nothing more than a vicious lie. That vicious lie turned into a terrible truth when it was not only written in ink, but in stone: The death of the Viscountess de Changy.

"Christine…" the name tore itself from Erik's lips. It was the first time he had spoken her song of a name since that night under the opera. He had thought of her name many a time on the countless sleepless nights. But he had never said it aloud; fearing speaking it would cause his heart to tear itself in two.

Cautiously, as if he were a child again, back when he feared death, before he wished for it, reveled in it, gave it to others, he approached Christine's grave. Tentatively he reached out a black-gloved hand and traced the letters that carved her name, each one inciting its own memory of passion and pain.

C- the content on her young face when he called to her

H- the happiness on her face in the light of her debut

R- the rage he felt when she removed his mask

I- the innocence of she and Raoul's love

S- the swear he made to the stars that he would destroy it

T- the tears Christine shed as she prayed to her father

I- the insanity that drove him out onto the stage to fight for his love

N- the numbing sensation he felt when her lips touched his

E- the length of time he would love her: eternity

Erik felt his heart twisting inside his chest. He clutched it and felt what he had put there that morning, a gift to Christine long overdue. From his coat pocket he produced a rose, tied with his signature black ribbon. Reverently he held it at eye level.

And for some reason he began to sing. The small amount of reason that was left in his head thought that it was instinctual, that music had been his crutch all his life so naturally it was there for him in this most traumatic of blows.

"_No one would listen, no one but her, heard-"_

The dam broke with the reference of Christine in the past tense and Erik could no longer deny that she was dead, and it destroyed him. His song broke off with a painful howl that is disturbed the birds roosting in a tree nearby. "Christine, Christine!" he cried, screamed, wept as he fell to his knees before the grave his body unable to hold itself up, his soul unable to care what his body did to him anymore. His strong fingers tore the mask away from his face and he hurled I away from himself and pressed the mangled half of his face into the dirt, trying to reach the only hand that had ever touched it.

Erik remained there for a long time; he had no knowledge of how long. Time had no meaning for him anymore. Time…music…life…all had no meaning if Christine was unaware of them. And since Christine was aware of nothing he was just that…nothing.

Some part of Erik heard the sound of an automobile coming, and that same part urged Erik off the ground, covered in dirt, turned to mud by his tears, even when most of his will told him to lie there until death came.

But he rose, calm once more, or more than likely incapable of feeling, and preformed his last act of love to Christine. He pulled out Christine's engagement ring from his pocket and tied it to the ribbon on the rose. It was the first time it had ever been off his person and not on Christine's finger.

He kissed the stone in the ring and the stone in the ground before placing the whole thing, the rose, the ribbon, and the ring on the grave.

He then left…never to return…he could not force himself to come like he had today knowing what awaited him there. So he left, leaving the two rocks. The rock that tore them apart, and the rock that bound them together.

Finis

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For those of you who don't know the song Erik was singing was Gerard Butler's deleted scene/song in the film called No One Would Listen. The whole line was "No one would listen, no one but her heard as the outcast hears. The orchestrated version of this song is played in this scene in the movie. Two versions: other Learn to be lonely-Minnie Driver (Carlotta)-credits same music different lyrics.

Thanx 4 readin


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